Glee-ful Reunion
by Isa'sWritings
Summary: When Blaine is kidnapped in New York after Nationals, Kurt and the New Directions are left to wonder what happened to him. Unable to do anything about the situation and not knowing whether they will ever see Blaine again, they have to deal with the absence in their group.
1. Chapter 1

As promised to one of the readers, here's a companion story to my previous story _Long-due Reunion_. If you haven't read that yet, I suggest you do. The first part of the story goes parallel with part of the other story and it will continue where I stopped the previous story. This one is mostly from the perspective of Kurt and the New Directions. I used bits of the other story in this one, but not extensively so, so you'll need to know what happened in _Long-due Reunion_ to understand what is happening.

This was supposed to be a oneshot, but it became a bit longer than that (the second chapter is already half-written), so I've decided to put the rest in another chapter so I could already post this part.

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters (of course) or White Collar or any of its characters.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Glee-ful Reunion – Chapter 1**

'Where is he?'

Kurt looked around, not really paying attention to what was going on around him, focused on finding Blaine and making sure he was alright. His mind barely registered the police officers talking to witnesses – none of them the person he was looking for –, until he was snapped out of his daze when he saw a figure staring at him and holding something to the back of his head.

"Neal? What happened? Where's Blaine? Is he okay?"

He had already made the connection between Neal's apparent injury and Blaine's absence, but part of him still expected to see his boyfriend jump out from where he was hiding to surprise him.

"I don't know."

It wasn't the answer he wanted to hear. He wanted to hear that his suspicions were wrong, he wanted to hear that Blaine was somewhere near, that he was alright, that there was nothing to worry about. What he wanted to hear the most was Blaine's voice, telling him he shouldn't worry so much, lest he get wrinkles before he was thirty. Sitting down, only half listening to the questions the FBI agent – Peter, his mind supplied helpfully – was asking him, he felt a surge of anger going through him, replacing the fear, at the implication this had something to do with Neal, the lost brother Blaine had never spoken of until yesterday.

"You do realise this is your fault, don't you? He was fine until you showed up."

Kurt hadn't meant to say it aloud and when he saw Neal's devastated expression, he almost regretted his words. Almost.

"Let me take you back to the hotel, Kurt," he heard Peter say. "I'm going to have to talk to your director as well."

As he sat in the back seat with Neal in the passenger seat directly in front of him, Kurt realised the New Directions had no idea what had happened yet. He didn't exactly look forward to having to tell them.

* * *

The agitated chatter started the moment Peter and Neal had left the room followed by Mr Schue and Ms Pillsbury, leaving Kurt and the rest of the New Directions with Sue and Coach Beiste.

"What do you think is going on?"

"Where's Blaine?"

"Wasn't he with that tall guy?"

"Yeah, the one who's supposed to be his brother," Artie said.

"If that guy's here, then where is Blaine?" Finn asked.

"Do you think he's decided to stay here in New York with his brother?" Sam asked a little worriedly.

"Without Kurt?" Mercedes cut in sceptically.

"Kurt will be in New York next year anyway," Rachel said matter-of-factly.

"Kurt? What's going on?" Mercedes asked, making the others realise Kurt was the only one who might have answers.

Kurt, however, didn't say anything. He sat still, more pale than usual, and looked at the ground in front of him, his hands clenched into fists.

"Kurt?" Rachel asked softly, moving closer. "What's wrong? Where is Blaine?"

Kurt still didn't look up. He knew that if he spoke, he could no longer deny what had happened. Finally, Sue took pity on him.

"Come on, Porcelain," she said, laying a hand on his shoulder "Let's go grab some air."

They left the room in silence.

"Let's just wait for Mr Schuester to come back," Coach Beiste suggested.

But that didn't keep the rest of the club from speculating.

* * *

It was quiet on the way home. They had all expected they would be celebrating, but now that one of them was missing, none of them really felt like it. The same sombre mood hung in the choir room the following day.

Quinn was the first to break the tense silence.

"Is there any news?"

Most of them immediately looked at Kurt, who hadn't said much since they had returned.

"Not yet," Mr Schue answered for him. "But agent Burke assured me they're doing everything they can to get him back as quickly as possible."

"This is garbage!" Puck shouted. "We're National Champions, we should be celebrating. And Blaine should be here, celebrating with us."

"Well, he isn't," Quinn interjected fiercely. "And it wouldn't be right doing so without him."

"Maybe he went on a holiday," Brittany remarked, but as usual, she was ignored.

"I blame that tall guy," Puck said. "If he hadn't shown up, this wouldn't have happened. How can we even be sure he's Blaine's real brother?"

"What? Do you really think the hobbit would've jumped on him like that if he wasn't?" Santana retorted.

"To be fair," Artie stated, "they did say they hadn't seen each other in ten years. Blaine might have made a mistake."

The answer to that came from a usually quiet corner.

"I don't think so," Mike said. "Blaine showed me a picture of his brother from before he left. He may have aged a bit, but he hasn't changed that much."

"He's right," Sam agreed.

"That still doesn't mean he's innocent in all this," Puck insisted. "I mean, he doesn't bother showing himself for ten years, then, when he finally does, Blaine disappears the day after. Why did he even come to Nationals if there wasn't something fishy going on?"

"Because he wanted to see his little brother perform."

Silence followed Kurt's quiet answer. Until Mercedes found her tongue again.

"You have to admit, though, Kurt, it's a bit weird. Where has he been all of these years? Why did he reappear now?"

Kurt looked up for the first time since entering the choir room. The rest of the glee club were all looking at him expectantly, as if he had all the answers. But he didn't.

"I don't know. All I know is that Neal kept his distance in order to protect Blaine. And he couldn't exactly have visited him when he was confined to New York by a tracking anklet, now could he, Puck?" Kurt added pointedly.

"Ha!" Puck exclaimed, making Rory, who was sitting next to him, jump. "So he's a criminal. Who knows what he did, who knows how long he's been scheming this."

Will knew he had to try to calm everyone down if he didn't want this argument to get out of hand.

"Puck, I don't think the FBI would've let Neal be alone with Blaine if they thought he was dangerous or might try to harm him."

Quinn, Sam and several other nodded.

"Besides," Kurt added vehemently, "what use is it sitting here and placing blame. It's not going to help Blaine in any way."

Shooting a nasty look at Puck, Kurt left the room.

"Well done, Noah," Rachel scolded after Kurt was gone.

"What? I was just saying what I think of this mess."

* * *

_"This is amazing, Kurt!" Blaine said excitedly. "I can't believe he was there!"_

_ Kurt couldn't help but laugh at the antics of his boyfriend, who was currently bouncing on the bed of the hotel room they were staying at. At the same time, he was trying to take something out of his wallet, holding it out to Kurt when he finally managed to retrieve whatever he had been searching for._

_ "This is him," he said proudly._

_ It was a picture of two boys, the older one holding the smaller one upside down, both grinning at the camera._

_ "I had just turned six when that was taken. He was still Cooper back then."_

_ Kurt looked from the Blaine next to him to the boy that was hanging upside down in the picture, smiling when he saw the mass of curls that he barely got to see these days. His gaze shifted to the other boy in the picture, who was unmistakeably a younger version of the man he had seen today. _

_ "I think it was a few months before he left."_

_ Kurt looked up when he heard his boyfriend's somewhat sad tone._

_ "I used to think it was my fault he had left," Blaine continued, looking down. "If I had been a __better brother, or if I hadn't broken the window of his bedroom... I just didn't understand why he didn't come back. I asked my mum, but she wouldn't give me any answers. She just told me what a disappointment Coop was, just like his father and mine. And how I would probably turn out to be just the same." _

_ Kurt frowned, sat next to Blaine on the bed, still holding the picture in one hand and taking Blaine's with the other._

_ "I used to wish he had taken me with him and then I spent days fantasising the adventures we would have."_

_ "The adventures of the dreaded Anderson brothers."_

_ Blaine smiled shyly._

_ "You can't hold that against me, I was only six."_

_ There was a pause while Blaine remembered his childhood dreams._

_ "Coop – Neal, whatever – told me he has been keeping an eye on me through a friend of his. And now he finally came!" Blaine was beaming again. "He hasn't changed a bit. And you know what?" He was bouncing again, eyes sparkling with excitement. "He didn't even care that I was gay. Just said that what mattered was that I was happy. And I am, Kurt. I am so, so happy right now, I can't even properly describe it."_

_ "No need to," Kurt chuckled. "I can see for myself. If I didn't know any better, I would think you had taken speed or something."_

_ Blaine laughed loudly and threw his arms around his boyfriend, who reciprocated right away and laughed with him._

"Hey Kurt," Kurt heard, returning to the present and seeing Brittany standing in front of him.

"I didn't know you were in my Biology class. I guess the two of us are early," she said looking around.

"Um, Britt, we're in the Spanish room. And classes started fifteen minutes ago."

"Oh. Then what are you doing here?"

"Just thinking."

"About what?"

Kurt looked at her curiously, then looked back at the desk in front of him.

"About Blaine. About how thrilled he was to see his brother again. And about what Puck said yesterday."

He sighed.

"Puck was wrong, Britt," he continued. "He was wrong. Neal didn't have anything to do with this. He was as… distraught as I was."

Kurt didn't know if Brittany actually had a clue what was going on, but he needed someone to give vent to his feelings.

"You know what the worst is, though? That day in Central Park... I told Neal exactly the same thing. I blamed him for what happened. … But I was wrong, Britt, I was so wrong."

He put his head in his hands.

"Maybe you should tell him."

"What?" He looked back up.

"Call Neal and tell him you were wrong," Brittany said as if it was obvious. "If you feel bad for holding him responsible, imagine how he's feeling right now. And if he's too busy blaming himself, he might not be as focused on helping Blaine find his way back as he should be."

Kurt sat still, gaping at Brittany.

"You're right," he said and pulled her into a sideways hug. "When did you get so smart?"

When he had released her, he pulled out his cell phone.

"I'm going to call him right away. Oh, and the Biology room is around the corner, the second door to the right," he added.

"Thanks, Kurt."

With a final kiss on his cheek, Brittany skipped out of the room while Kurt dialled the already familiar number.

* * *

It had been three days. Three days since Kurt had last heard Blaine's happy voice on the phone. Three days since he had entered the park thinking he would simply meet up with his boyfriend and his boyfriend's brother to have lunch. Three days since that belief had been subtly shattered by the presence of police officers and an ambulance and the absence of Blaine.

Kurt was sitting in the choir room on his own. It was almost lunch time, but he couldn't handle the bustle in the cafeteria right now and he knew he would only be picking at his food anyway. So he sat quietly and thought about Blaine and where he could be, like he had for the past three days. Neal had said they knew where he was and that that might be to their advantage. And even though Kurt wasn't entirely convinced how that could help, he had to believe Neal knew what he was doing. It was all he had to keep himself from losing all hope.

He wondered how Blaine was dealing with all of this and how they were treating him. He tried to push away thoughts of things he had seen in films, with victims getting beaten or tortured and eventually killed, or where they cut off limbs as a warning to the victim's family.

The sound of his phone distracted him from his attempts not to imagine Blaine lying dead in some desolate place somewhere.

"Hello?"

He didn't get any answer.

"Hello? Who's this?" he tried again. Still nothing. But as he listened more closely, he heard someone breathing. Refusing to believe somebody was playing a sick joke on him at a time like this, his mind instantly jumped to a conclusion he had been hoping for since Sunday.

"Blaine? Is that you?"

It stayed silent for a little bit longer.

_"...Kurt."_

Despite how choked it had sounded, Kurt had recognised the voice, relief crashing into him.

"Oh Blaine." He felt the tears prickling in his eyes, but he did his best to keep them in a little bit longer. For now, talking to Blaine and assuring himself that he was safe and well was more important.

"Are you okay, honey? … Blaine?"

Blaine still didn't say anything. Maybe he was too afraid to. Maybe he was still with his kidnappers and not with the FBI or Neal as Kurt had assumed.

_"Kurt...,"_ he heard again, followed by the sound of someone crying. Blaine was crying. Kurt didn't know if it was because he was still captive and terrified or because he was upset but safe, but it didn't matter. Right now he had to try to calm his boyfriend down, preferably before he passed out from hyperventilation.

"I'm here, sweetie," he said, not really knowing what Blaine needed to hear, but hoping it helped anyway. "Take your time."

The sobs changed, as if Blaine was listening to him and attempting to calm himself, but failing. Kurt was desperate. He couldn't take hearing how upset his boyfriend was and knowing he was unable to properly comfort him because of the distance. Just as he was about to try to call out to him once more, Blaine spoke again.

_"I've missed you. I've missed you so much, Kurt. I love you, I love you."_

Kurt smiled to himself, the tears finally spilling over.

"I love you too," he answered. "It's good to hear your voice again. Are you okay? Where are you now?"

He waited patiently until Blaine had composed himself enough to respond.

_"I'm fine. We're at the FBI. Neal's here with me."_

"Thank God." It was out before Kurt realised he had spoken. The dread he had felt knowing it was possible that Blaine was still in the hands of his kidnappers dissolved at last. "When are you coming home?"

_"Um, I'm not sure...," _Blaine paused. _"Um... They still need my statement, so... maybe tomorrow? I don't really know."_

"That's okay. Just let me know when you do know, okay honey?"

_"Yeah, I will."_

Judging by the rushing sound Kurt heard the next moment, Blaine sighed on the other side of the line.

_"Kurt... I think I have to go."_ It sounded hesitant, as if Blaine wasn't looking forward to what was coming next. _"They're here for my statement."_

That explained it. Of course Blaine would be reluctant to relive the past three days.

"All right. Maybe I can call you back later?"

Kurt was hoping it would give Blaine something to look forward to and to help him through the interview.

_"Um... I'm actually not sure what happened to my phone..."_

"Oh... No problem. How about you call me when you've had some rest? How does that sound?"

_"Sounds great."_

From the way Blaine's breath hitched at the end of this, Kurt knew his boyfriend was on the verge of tears again.

"Good." He didn't know what to say. He knew he couldn't do much from Ohio, but he had to reassure Blaine somehow that he was there for him when he needed him. "Blaine, you can call me at any time if you need me, okay? Even if it's the middle of the night."

_"Okay."_ It wasn't more than a whisper. _"I love you."_

"I love you too. I'll see you soon."

_"Uh-huh."_

Blaine had started crying again, Kurt could hear the barely suppressed gasps through the receiver and felt his throat close up at hearing his boyfriend's distress.

"It'll be okay, sweetie. You'll be back home soon and I'll be right here waiting for you."

_"Okay."_

When they had hung up, Kurt finally gave in to his tears, although now they were tears of happiness. Blaine was alive and safe. He had sounded tired and very emotional, bordering on hysterical, but relatively fine nonetheless.

* * *

"Mr Schue? If I may?"

Will immediately noticed how much perkier Kurt seemed compared to the previous days. He nodded and went to stand a bit to the side, making room for the boy. Kurt was practically bouncing as he stood in front of his fellow glee club members and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

"I got a phone call earlier today. I am happy to inform you all... it was Blaine, calling from the FBI building."

He grinned broadly as a cheer exploded in the room.

"Is he okay?"

"When is he coming back?"

"Maybe we can all go wait for him when he arrives."

Questions and suggestions were flying through the choir room in an excited cacophony. Kurt held up his hand, trying to get their attention back.

"Guys," Mr Schue's voice rang over the noise. "Let him speak."

Kurt looked at him gratefully before turning back to the others.

"When I spoke to him, he was...," he hesitated, wondering how to describe the state Blaine had been in. "He told me he was okay."

They all nodded, realising what Kurt wasn't saying.

"He didn't know when he was coming back yet, but he'll let me know when he does."

"We should do something for him," Rachel said.

"A party?" Puck interjected in a hopeful tone.

"As much as I believe he'd appreciate the thought," Kurt interrupted, "I don't think he'll be in the mood for a party."

The others didn't know this, of course, but Blaine had sounded upset and exhausted.

"Kurt's right," Mike said, earning an appreciative smile from Kurt. "The past few days have probably been stressful and terrifying; the last thing we want to do is overwhelm him."

"We should do something, though," Quinn said. "Something low-key."

In the end, they managed to agree on a song they would dedicate to Blaine, and spent the rest of the hour practising.

* * *

Two days later, they were all waiting in small groups at the train station for Blaine's train to arrive, which seemed to be delayed a bit. When it finally arrived, Blaine was one of the last to get off, accompanied by a man who seemed to be in his late thirties. A bit further away, a little bald guy with big glasses was watching Blaine intently, sharing a look with him. Kurt settled his gaze on Blaine, taking in his appearance. He had different clothes on than the ones he had been wearing in New York. To say he looked tired was an understatement. If Kurt had to be honest, he had to admit Blaine looked awful, which was only made worse by the dark bruise on his left cheek.

"Jeez, he looks like crap," he heard Santana mutter somewhere behind him.

"Santana!" Rachel scolded.

"What? I'm just saying what everyone's thinking."

Ignoring them, Kurt started to walk towards his boyfriend. As he approached, he noticed that Blaine's eyes were wide, panicky, and he was breathing hard.

"Blaine?" he said cautiously, not wanting to scare his boyfriend even more. The next thing he knew, he had his arms full. Holding Blaine tightly, Kurt could feel the shudders running through the boy and the way his chest was heaving, as if he couldn't breathe properly. He ran his hand up and down Blaine's back, hoping it would help him. It seemed to, because after a while, Blaine's breathing slowed down and his hold was easing slightly.

Kurt pulled back a bit, needing to see his boyfriend properly. His eyes were immediately drawn to the bruise. He started to trace it, wondering what had happened and whether there were other injuries that weren't as visible.

"You're hurt...," he blurted out, hoping against better knowledge that Blaine hadn't heard him.

"It's just a bruise." Blaine sounded as tired as he looked. "It'll fade."

But they both knew it went beyond just a bruise. While Blaine was distracted, Kurt motioned to the New Directions to start the song, in which Kurt sang lead, as had been decided unanimously. As the glee club surrounded the couple, they could all see from up close how bad Blaine looked, how close to falling apart. Especially when the song was over, no one could ignore the tears forming in the boy's eyes and how his voice cracked slightly when he thanked them for the song.

Sam was looking at his friend from the back of the group. Ever since their minor discussion before Sectionals and the apologies afterwards, they had become significantly closer. And being a close friend, Sam knew Blaine didn't like showing his feelings in public, unless it was in song.

"Group hug!" he shouted, hoping it would give Blaine a break and distract everyone else from the fact he was near crying. It worked surprisingly well. The others immediately threw themselves at the boy in their midst, almost bowling him over in their enthusiasm and making him smile broadly.

"Good to have you back, Frodo," Santana said with a smirk.

* * *

I hope you liked it. If not: leave a review to tell me if there's anything I can improve. Or if I left any grammar or spelling errors despite re-reading it about twenty times before posting it ;)

As said, there will be a second chapter, which will explore the aftermath of what has happened. (Unless no one's interested, in which case: tell me all about it!)


	2. Chapter 2

**Glee-ful Reunion – Chapter 2**

Instead of a party, they had decided on having a film night. Burt had offered to have it at their house, knowing it would make Blaine more comfortable since he felt at home there. He had put his right-hand man in charge of closing the shop and had come home early to await the bunch of teenagers, especially the one he had missed around his house the past days.

When he heard the first engine coming up the driveway, he stood up and walked to the front door, opening it. The first group entered, but Kurt and Blaine weren't among them.

"They're a bit behind," Puck said while he passed Burt. "I think they had to stop somewhere along the way for Blaine. Finn texted me they'd be later. Something about a panic attack or something."

Burt frowned. The whole glee club was already in the living room, discussing which film they were going to watch, except for Kurt, Finn and Blaine, who were coming with Will and Emma. Ten minutes later, he heard another engine, louder than most of the cars in his driveway. He swung the front door open once again.

"Hey, Burt," Will greeted him, extending his hand. Burt absent-mindedly accepted it, but tried to look past him at the same time. When he spotted his son with his boyfriend, he walked out towards the approaching teens.

"Hey, buddy," he said when Blaine was within hearing distance. "It's great to see you again."

"You too, Mr Hummel." Blaine was smiling, but Burt could tell it was slightly forced. Not thinking twice about it, he pulled the boy into a hug, which was hesitantly reciprocated.

"It's still Burt, kid." A small chuckle escaped the boy and Burt felt him relax in his arms. After a while, he released him and looked him over. To his somewhat practised eye, Blaine's whole appearance screamed exhaustion and lingering fear, but the kid hid it fairly well.

"You okay?"

Blaine nodded. "I am now," he said, smiling more sincerely.

"Come on in. If you want to, you can stay over tonight. I've already arranged it with your mother."

Burt saw Blaine's expression darken at his words and he realised what the boy must be thinking. He had heard the stories about Blaine's mother from Kurt. He knew she didn't care much about her son. On the phone, she had sounded rather disinterested, as if it didn't matter where her child would be spending the night after having been held hostage for three days.

"She didn't care, did she?" Blaine muttered bitterly.

Burt didn't answer, not wanting to confirm that. The question was left unanswered when the boys went to settle themselves in the living room, Finn on the floor next to Rachel, and Kurt and Blaine on the couch, which the rest of the group had left free for them.

Will and Emma left an hour later, leaving Burt alone with the New Directions. When the teacher couple were gone, he stood watching the teenagers in his living room for a while before going upstairs to read his paper in peace.

Puck was sitting on the floor in front of the couch where Kurt and Blaine were enjoying each other's presence. Blaine was lying with his head in Kurt's lap while the latter stroked his hair gently. Artie and Sam were leaning against the other couch, which held a couple of the girls. The rest of the teens were scattered around the living room, sitting on pillows and blankets. Every once in a while, Kurt looked down, checking on Blaine and confirming that he really was back home. By the time Kurt glanced at him again halfway through the second film, Blaine had fallen asleep. Honestly, Kurt had expected him to give in to his tiredness much sooner and, apparently, now he finally had. Kurt looked around the living room at the rest of the New Directions, who were staring intently at the screen. At the moment, they were watching some cheesy romantic film Tina had brought.

Towards the end of the film, Blaine started squirming. Kurt glanced down again and found Blaine was still asleep, just not so peacefully anymore. He had curled up, he was breathing more quickly and a frown had appeared on his face. In addition, one of his hands was clenching Kurt's trousers in his fist, pinching Kurt's skin underneath in the process.

"Ouch," he muttered.

It took him a few seconds to recognise what was wrong: Blaine was having a nightmare.

"Blaine," he said softly, still petting the boy's hair. "Wake up, sweetie. … Come on, Blaine, wake up."

He said it a little louder and shook Blaine's shoulder gingerly. He was aware of Santana staring at them from the other couch with a frown of her own, but he ignored her.

"Blaine."

Suddenly, Blaine's eyes flew open, accompanied by a tiny gasp. Kurt started running his fingers through his hair again in a calming manner. He lay his other hand over Blaine's fist and pried his fingers off of his leg.

"It's okay," Kurt soothed. "It was just a dream."

Blaine looked up at him. Kurt could feel the small tremor going through the other boy's hand and could see his body's accompanying shudder.

"Are you cold?"

"A bit," Blaine mumbled.

Without being asked to, Puck grabbed a blanket from the floor and passed it to Kurt, trying not to stare too obviously. Kurt draped it over the two of them, concerned but smart enough not to ask Blaine about it in the presence of the New Directions. Blaine, for that matter, tried very hard to stay awake for the rest of the evening.

* * *

Somewhere near, a locker door slammed shut like a gunshot, making Blaine flinch.

"He's gotten jumpy," Santana commented, watching him from a distance.

"What did you expect," Quinn retorted.

"Does anyone even know what exactly happened to him yet?" Mercedes asked. Their thoughts went to the unexplained bruise that was fading but still visible on Blaine's face.

"I heard from Kurt that he's been going to Ms Pillsbury, but even Kurt doesn't have any details," Sam said knowingly.

They watched as Blaine seemed to have shut his eyes and leaned his head against his locker, trying to regain his composure. Eventually, he straightened up and started walking towards the choir room.

"Hey Blaine, wait up," Sam called, running after him. "So, I was thinking. What would you say about the two of us doing a duet?"

"A duet?"

Sam knew his friend was doing his best to act normally, but he could see the signs of stress in Blaine's shoulders.

"Yeah, I heard this amazing song on the radio the other day and I thought our voices would make it sound great."

"Okay, sure. Which song is it?"

Chatting about the arrangements, Sam could see Blaine relax, and by the time they had arrived at the choir room, he knew it mostly wasn't an act anymore.

* * *

_It was pitch black. He couldn't see or hear anything. He tried moving around, but he seemed to be stuck to his place. From somewhere far away, he heard voices approaching, but he didn't recognise any of them, nor did he know what they were saying. They sounded angry, though. _

_ Once again, he tried but failed to move. His limbs seemed too heavy to cooperate. _

_ They were coming closer. Somehow, he knew they were coming to hurt him, but he couldn't run away. He still couldn't see anything or anyone, even though he was certain they were well within his range of vision._

_ If only he could see. Or move._

_ They were getting too close._

Kurt crept downstairs. He had to be quiet because Blaine was asleep on the couch, as he had done almost the entire week since coming home. Kurt wanted to check on Blaine, and if anyone woke up and noticed him, he would use his thirst as an excuse.

Something was wrong. He knew it the moment he walked into the living room and spotted his boyfriend. Blaine was asleep, but his blanket had been thrown to the ground. Kurt cautiously came closer. Blaine was lying on his back, his body tensed up and his breathing quick.

Another nightmare. It was like during the film night with the New Directions, but worse. Kurt sat down on the edge of the couch.

"Blaine." He shook him a bit. "Blaine, wake up. Come on, Blaine, you're dreaming again. You're okay, you're safe. You just have to wake up."

Kurt was worried. Blaine wasn't waking up, no matter how loudly Kurt was calling his name or how hard he was shaking him.

"Blaine!"

Finally, Blaine opened his eyes, still breathing hard.

"Kurt?" he asked weakly.

"I'm here." He extended his hand slowly to gently take Blaine's face in his hand, brushing away a tear with his thumb. Blaine launched himself into his arms, trembling and his shoulders shaking from his hardly suppressed crying.

"It's okay," Kurt whispered soothingly, rocking him. "You're safe. You're alright."

"It was so dark," Blaine choked out. "I couldn't see anything. But I could hear them. They were coming for me."

He couldn't go on.

"Shh. Calm down, sweetie. You're safe now. Deep breaths, honey, come on."

He kept on whispering and, eventually, his boyfriend calmed down sufficiently. They continued embracing each other for a while, even when Blaine's heart rate and breathing had returned to normal and his tears had dried up. Kurt was just starting to wonder whether the boy in his arms had fallen asleep again when he stirred and pulled away a bit.

"Better?" Kurt asked.

Blaine nodded.

"Sorry for waking you up," he said sheepishly.

"You didn't. I was on my way to the kitchen for some water. And as creepy as it may sound, I kind of couldn't resist coming to check up on you."

"I'm glad you did."

A residual shudder ran through him as he thought about his nightmare. Kurt had noticed it, as well as the goose bumps covering Blaine's arms. In general, his boyfriend still seemed too freaked out to go back to sleep. So he turned the lamp behind the couch on, lay the blanket back in its place and started to make his way to the kitchen.

"Stay. Don't move," he told Blaine, who was staring at him confusedly. "I'll be right back."

Minutes later, he returned holding two cups. The smell of chocolate filled Blaine's nostrils, making him smile. When Kurt sat down next to him and handed him a cup, Blaine didn't hesitate to lean against him, resting his head on his boyfriend's shoulder, only lifting it every once in a while to take a sip. He felt Kurt's arm curling around his back. They sat in silence for some time, taking comfort from each other. But eventually, Blaine's need to talk about his dreams became too strong to ignore.

"It was dark...," he started, "in my dream. I could hear people talking, but I couldn't see them and I didn't understand what they were saying. There were coming for me, but I couldn't move or run away. There was something... holding me in my place."

He paused.

"I was afraid they'd get me," he added in a whisper.

Kurt started to rub his arm.

"Have you had that dream before?"

"Yes, a few times."

Another pause.

"It's about what happened, isn't it?" Kurt asked hesitantly, as if he were afraid to bring it up.

"Yes," Blaine admitted.

After that, he stayed silent for a few minutes. Kurt wanted to ask him to tell more, but he didn't want to force his boyfriend to talk either. Finally, his inner debate was rendered pointless when Blaine spoke again.

"I... I'd like to tell you what happened."

Kurt looked down at the top of his head.

"Okay," he answered, inviting Blaine to continue if he wanted to. Before the dark-haired boy did, he put their two empty cups on the coffee table in front of them, returned to his previous position and took Kurt's now free hand in both of his and started playing with his fingers.

"I don't know where to start..."

"How about the park?"

Blaine nodded in response. He started by describing his and Neal's conversation. It was 'safe territory'; at that moment, everything had still been relatively normal.

They both remembered their last phone call before it had all changed.

"... And then, suddenly, he shoved me away and shouted at me to run. But I didn't know where to because they were all around us. Next thing I know, Neal is lying unconscious on the ground with a gun aimed at his head, another one aimed at me, while one of them forced me to choose between going with them or watching Neal die."

Blaine paused when Kurt gasped almost inaudibly and tightened his hold. Then he continued to tell Kurt how they must have drugged him since he couldn't remember leaving the park; he only remembered the unpleasant experience of waking up and feeling sick. He explained how he had been blindfolded and tied up the entire time, unable to see or move.

"I could hear them talking, but it was like they were in a different room. … I had no idea where I was or where Neal was, what was happening, or whether someone was coming for me. I tried to call out to Neal, to see if they had taken him as well. But I quickly learned to keep quiet."

He gestured vaguely to his face as he said this and Kurt understood what he meant.

"I-I was scared I would never get to see you again, or our friends or Neal. … I was scared I wouldn't get to finish high school and move to New York with you and..."

Silent tears were making their way down his face.

"I was so scared, Kurt," he whispered.

"So was I," Kurt admitted, moving to hug Blaine properly. "I was afraid of losing you, of getting a call from Neal saying you were dead, of never getting to hear your voice again..."

He trailed off. Then he pulled back and tilted his boyfriend's chin up, making him look him in the eyes.

"I'm so glad you're home and safe, here with me. And I'm so grateful to your brother for making that happen."

Blaine smiled, feeling the same way.

"I was really relieved when I heard his voice," he revealed.

He resumed his story by describing how they had dragged him from wherever he was kept to some vehicle, only to be pulled out again after what seemed like an eternity.

"I thought that was it, I thought they were going to kill me. … But then I heard his voice. I'm not really sure what they were talking about, something about money and a holiday in Rio de Janeiro. Then, all of a sudden, there was so much shouting around us when the FBI showed up. And there was a shot. … I swear, Kurt, it's a lot louder than in films. But right after, Neal was with me, talking to me, taking off the blindfold and releasing my hands... I..."

Blaine fell silent, spent from the emotional turmoil he had just relived.

"I guess you know the rest," he finished weakly.

"No wonder you're having nightmares," Kurt muttered. Upon seeing the other boy's current condition – and feeling beyond tired himself –, he lay down on the couch, pulling Blaine with him and draping the blanket over them. When he moved to turn off the light, Blaine stopped him.

"Can we leave it on? Just tonight?"

"Of course."

When Burt came downstairs the following morning and found both boys fast asleep, tears tracks still slightly visible on Blaine's face and the light still on behind them, he sighed deeply. He clicked the lamp off, readjusted the blanket and took their cups to the kitchen, letting them sleep in.

* * *

Monday found the boys sitting in Ms Pillsbury's office, with Blaine telling her everything he hadn't felt ready to talk about the week before and which he had therefore kept to himself.

_"Have you told Ms Pillsbury about what happened?" Kurt asked the morning after their nightly heart-to-heart. He knew Blaine had gone to her office a few times, but he didn't know what Blaine had discussed with her._

_ "No. I mean, she knows what happened from the file agent Burke sent her. But she wanted me to tell her myself, when I was ready to. … You're the first one I've told, apart from my statement for the FBI."_

_ Kurt was weirdly touched that Blaine had trusted him with his story._

_ "I think I'm ready now, though. Don't they always say the first step is the hardest?"_

_ "You don't have to feel obliged to, Blaine."_

_ "I know, but I really want to tell her. Though, I don't want to do it alone," he added hesitantly. "Would you mind coming with me?"_

_ "Of course I don't mind, if you're sure."_

_ "I am. Thank you."_

_ "You're __very__ welcome."_

A few days later, the glee club was given a much reduced version of the facts. Kurt was beaming proudly from his seat while he watched Blaine finish his story.

"So, I'm sorry if I'm acting a bit weird. I guess I'm still bothered by the jet lag," Blaine ended jokingly, smiling softly when the others chuckled.

The tension in the room was now sufficiently broken. Sam jumped up unexpectedly and announced he and Blaine had prepared a song for them.

While he was admiring them, Kurt reflected on the past two weeks. Despite Blaine's courage to tell everyone and his determination to move on, Kurt knew he was still having nightmares. It would probably take a while for those to go away. He also realised Blaine would need some time to truly get over this, considering how on edge he still was. But they had the whole summer in front of them. There would be bad moments, moments when Blaine was scared or emotional, or even moments when Kurt relived his own fears. But he knew they'd be alright. And they wouldn't be alone.

**The end.**

* * *

That's all, folks. I consider this story finished, so there won't be any additions to this in the (near) future.

I still like reading reviews; they help me make up for possible mistakes I might have made in this story so I won't make them again in the next. (For the anonymous person who has already left a review: thank you so much! Your reviews really made my day when I read them.)

And for those who can't get enough: I have written a short one-shot that only needs some editing, so that will probably be posted in the near future.


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